Great Skeptics of History #4

Juan Perez may not be one of the most well known Great Skeptics of History, but he was one of the bravest. Hilary Evans tells his story in "Visions, Apparitions, Alien Visitors". Towards the close of the eighteenth century, Perez, a Madrid workman, was arraigned by the Inquisition for denying that there existed a Devil with power to seize the human soul. He admitted this sin and explained why:

After having suffered every kind of misfortune to my family, my property and my trade, I lost patience and called in despair on the Devil, begging him to avenge me on my enemies in return for my soul and body. I repeated this day after day, but in vain — no Devil appeared.

So I consulted a man who claimed to be a magician, who in turn took me to a woman who he said was more skilled than himself. She told me to go three days running to the Hill des Vitillas, there to call on Lucifer as the Angel of Light, offering my soul, renouncing God and the Christian faith. I did so, but saw and heard nothing.

She told me to throw away my rosary and all tokens of Christian belief, to renounce my faith in God, and engage myself in Lucifer's service, acknowledging him as the greater divinity. This I did, but still no sign of Lucifer.

The old lady advised me to write a covenant in blood, recognising Lucifer as Lord and Master, which I should take to the spot and read aloud. I did it, but it was useless.

Then I thought to myself, if there are any devils, and if they are really anxious to get hold of human souls, they will never get a more favourable opportunity than I had given them. Since they hadn't taken up on my sincere offer, it was evident that no such devils exist.

The fate of Perez is unrecorded.